Release means



Sept. 19, 1944. .L -v. DYRR 2,358,496

' RELEASE MEANS Filed Oct. 50, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 P 1944- J. v. DYRR 4 2,358,496

RELEASE MEANS Filed Oct. 50, 1942 ZSheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 19, 1944 RELEASE MEANS-l .lacob V. Dyrr, Bell, Calif., assignor to International Harvester Company, a corporation of" New Jersey Application October so, 1942 Serial No. 463,945

3 Claims.

An object of the present invention is to provide Y an improved holding means.

A further object is the provision of an improvement in an offset harrow.

Another object is to provide an improved holding means for a harrow.

Still another object is the provision of an improved lock construction for. an offset harrow.

Other objects will appear from the. disclosure.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a control bar, extending between the gangs of an offset harrow, is releasably fixed, to the rear gang by means of a pivotally mounted hook on the rear gang which engages a projection on the control bar. A springmaintains the hook in engagement with the projection and when theharrow is to be turned, the necessary pull by the draft means upon turning causes the hook to be pivoted so as to release the projection on the control bar.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a tractor and a harrow connected thereto in working position and employing the novel holding means of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the tractor and harrow of Figure 1 but showing the harrow and tractor in position for a turning to the right;

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of the holding means of the present invention in the position occupied when the harrow is in the working position of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of the holding means occupying the position when the harrow is being turned to the right as shown in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a sideview of the holding means in the position of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3.

As seen in Figure 1, a tractor ID has a U-shaped draw bar ll secured at the rear thereof provided with an offset extension [2. Positioned at the rear of the tractor I0 is an offset harrow, shown'schematically. This harrow comprises a front gang l3 and a rear gang M, the gangs be ing. rpivotally connected by pieces l5 and I6 extending respectively rearwardly and forwardly from the front gang l3 and rear gang l4 and joined in a pivot IT. The harrow is connected to the tractor draw bar II by means of a'rigid hitch frame l8 composed of a transverse member l9 pivotally connected at 20 to an extension 2! of the front gang I3 and'alongitudinal member 22 rigidly connected with the transverse member l9 and pivotally connected at 23 to the' tractor draw bar H. The end of the transverse member l9 opposite th pivot 20 is pivotally connected as at 24 with a pullbar 25 pivotally connected at 26 to a lateral extension 2"! of the rear gang M. Extending between the gangs l3 and I4 is a control bar 28.which is releasably connected with the front gang l3 by means 29 under control of a cord 30 extending to within easy reach of an operators seat 3| upon the tractor. III. This means is not shown in detail in they present application, since it forms no part of the present invention but is shown more fully andv claimed in the applicants c0- pending application, Serial No. 463,946, filed October 30, 1942. It is. sufficient tostate that the means 29 will upon-a pull upon the cord 30 release the. control barc28 from the front gang l3 for the sake of'an adjustment of the working position of the harrow or a'shifting from Working position to transport position.

The rear end of the control bar 28 is connected to the rear gang I4 by the novel means of the present invention shown in some detail in Figures 3 to- 6, inclusive. As seen in Figure 6, a member 32 extends through and downwardly from the member 28, being welded thereto so as to form a downwardly extending projection. The rear gang l4 includes an angle member 33 to which is secured a strap 34. An angle member 35 extends upwardly from the strap 34 and is welded thereto. The angle member comprises a vertical leg 36 and a horizontal leg 31, which formsa slidable sup-port for the control member 28. A strap 38 extends across the top of the the member 35 and is welded to the vertical leg 36. A bolt 42 extends through the horizontal leg 31 on the part 4| and with the part 4| forms a pivotal mounting for a hook 43, which engages the pin or projection 32 upon the control bar 28. A spring. 44 connected with the hook 43 through a piece 45 resiliently holds the hook 43 in engagement with the projection 32. The spring 44 is attached to the rear side of the rear gang I4 as seen in Figures 1 and 2 A bolt 46 pivotally connects the piece 45 to the hook 43 and also connects a strap 41 to the hook 43. To the strap 41 is connected a chain 48, which is in turn connected to the offset extension I2 of the tractor draw bar ll.

During the normal working position of Figure 1, the gangs l3 and I4 are held against relative movement by the control bar 28, which is connected to the rear gang by virtue of the engagement of the projection 32 with th hook 43. When the tractor l and the harrow are to be turned to the right, as shown in Figure 2, the turning of the tractor causes the extension [2 of the draw bar I l to exert a pull upon the chain 48 and strap 41 which move the hook 43 pivotally about the bolt 42 to the position of Figure 4 in which the projection 32 on the control bar 28 is released. The gangs [3 and I4 of the harrow move to the relative position of Figure 2 in which they are capable of a turn to the right, and th control bar 28 moves rearwardly with respect to the rear gang l 4 as shown in Figur 4. When the turn to the right is completed, the extension l2 of the draw bar II no longer exerts a pull through the chain 48 and strap 41 upon the hook 43, and so the hook 43 turns to the position of Figure 3. As the gangs I3 and I4 move back to their working position in Figure 1, the control bar 28 moves forwardly with respect to the rear gang l4 and the projection 32 comes into contact with the hook 43 moving it temporarily toward the position of Figure 4 until the projection is reengaged within the hook 43.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that a new and novel holding means has been provided for use in fixing a control bar to the gang of a harrow. Thi means comprises a hook which is releasably or resiliently held in engagement with a projection upon the control bar.

The intention is to limit the invention only within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In an offset harrow comprising front and rear gangs connected for relative movement and a control bar connected to the front gang and extending between the gangs, the combination therewith of means for releasably connecting the control bar to the rear gang, said means comprising a projection extending downwardly from the control bar, a sliding support for the control bar in spaced relation to and above the rear gang, means cooperating with the sliding support to enclose the control bar thereby to retain the bar upon the sliding support, a piece secured in spaced relation to and below th sliding support, and a hook pivotally mounted between the piece and the sliding support and adapted releasably to engage the projection on the control bar.

2. In an ofiset harrow comprising front and rear gangs connected for relative movement and a control bar connected to the front gang and extending between the gangs, the combination therewith of means for releasably connecting the control bar to the rear gang, said mean comprising a projection extending downwardly from the control bar, an angle member having a vertical leg secured to the rear gang and a horizontal leg positioned above the rear gang and slidably supporting the control bar, a piec secured to the vertical leg of the angle member below the horizontal leg, and a releasable hook pivotally mounted between the piece and the horizontal leg of theangle member and adapted to engage the projection'of the control bar.

' said rear gang and spaced from the control bar to be engageable with the projection, and means connected with the hook and operative upon turning of the harrow in one direction to disengage the hook from the projection.

JACOB V. DYRR. 

